We understand flourishing as a multifaceted construct that connotes a sense of appropriately directed growth and resilience in multiple areas including (but not limited to) physical and mental health; close social relationships; happiness and life satisfaction; meaning and purpose; and character and virtue. Importantly, flourishing does not necessarily mean the absence of negative emotions or experiences. Some researchers have argued that flourishing involves having life experiences that are psychologically rich, varied, and perspective-changing. Flourishing is a state, in that an individual’s life might be appraised as flourishing (to some degree) in a given moment by the presence of certain characteristics. It is also an ideal aim, in that an individual can be striving towards the ideal of flourishing even if their circumstances are less than perfect or if they are unable to fully optimize their abilities and capacities.

Some religious and spiritual exercises are likely to have direct and indirect positive impact on one or more dimensions of human flourishing. An example of a spiritual exercise that has been investigated extensively for its functional benefits on flourishing is mindfulness meditation. Since the introduction of a secularized form of mindfulness meditation into mainstream clinical psychology in the 1970s, numerous studies in the clinical, brain, and behavioral sciences have examined the impact of mindfulness-based practices on practitioners. The now sizable body of research on mindfulness-based interventions shows fairly consistent benefits of mindfulness interventions on mental health, physical health, cognitive, affective, and interpersonal outcomes in clinical and some non-clinical settings. Researchers have identified neurological, biological, and psychological mechanisms that underpin the exercise’s impact on practitioners. While most of these studies have neglected the philosophical and spiritual contexts of mindfulness, researchers are increasingly attentive to the study of authentic forms of mindfulness practices that reflect the broader philosophical and spiritual contexts from which mindfulness was originally drawn.

We seek to expand our understanding of a more diverse set of religious and spiritual exercises by funding research on exercises that have hitherto been overlooked by rigorous empirical research. We are interested in projects that seek to establish causal links between the practice of religious and spiritual exercises and a range of states and outcomes associated with human flourishing; and projects that will elucidate moderators and mediators that can potentially inform innovative applications of spiritual exercises to promote human flourishing in both traditional and non-traditional contexts. Innovative applications may include novel designs of spiritual exercises, or new ways of practice that encourage greater uptake or enhance sustained engagement.
 

Have you ever felt collective effervescence — a heightened sense of unity and sacredness, often felt during group activities such as a sporting event, a concert, or a religious gathering? Social psychologist Shira Gabriel is studying this phenomenon via Koolulam, a social musical initiative centered around group singing events. Her-TWCF funded research project explores how Koolulam's events impact spirituality, connection, acceptance, and wellbeing, and whether the link between these outcomes and group singing is mediated by collective effervescence.